This invention relates to minimally-invasive methods and medical devices for performing cosmetic breast surgery or mastoplasty. More, specifically, the invention provides methods and devices for performing breast and nipple-lifts and contouring the surface of the breast without the need for open surgery.
A breast-lift (mastopexy) is usually performed for drooping breasts (mastoptosis), which may occur with age, after weight-loss or after a woman has had children. The skin loses its elasticity and the breasts lose their firmness and shape as they sag under the effects of gravity. The degree of droop or ptosis is measured by how far the nipple has fallen below the inframammary fold. Mastoptosis requiring mastopexy is present when the nipple has fallen below the plane of the projected inframammary fold. However, cosmetic breast surgery or mastoplasty may be performed for aesthetic reasons regardless of the extent of ptosis present.
Surgical mastopexy is the standard treatment for mastoptosis. In 2004 more than 98,000 mastopexy procedures were performed in the United States. Breast-revision surgery such as mastopexy is an invasive open surgery procedure. The procedure is performed under general anesthesia, either in an outpatient facility or in the hospital. Most patients require a two-day hospital stay. During the procedure, incisions are made along the natural creases in the breast and around the dark pink skin surrounding the nipple (areolus). A keyhole-shaped incision above the areolus is made to define the new location of the nipple. Skin is then removed from the lower section of the breast. The areolus, nipple (nipple-areola complex or NAC), and underlying breast tissue are moved up to a higher position. The breasts are lifted using suspension sutures in the deep parenchymal tissue and tucks in the redundant skin. The NAC is moved up into the keyhole incision and all the incisions are closed with sutures. Large incisions are required, and in order to elevate the NAC, periareola incisions are always required. The sutures remain for two weeks after surgery and are then removed. It is a disadvantage of the mastopexy procedure that it requires long incisions, and, although care is taken to reduce scarring, some scarring is usually evident. A further disadvantage is that the long incisions and exposed tissues create a risk of post-operative infection.
After surgery, a bulky gauze dressing is wrapped around the breasts and chest. Sometimes a surgical bra is used. The patient is usually in significant pain, which necessitates control by medication for the first few days. Generally, the swelling and discoloration around the incisions take a few days to subside. The surgical dressing must be worn for up to a week at which point it is replaced with a surgical bra, which must be worn for several weeks.
Thus, the open mastopexy procedure requires a lengthy hospital stay and an even longer convalescence period in which the patient may not be able to work. Patients may not return to even low impact exercise until three weeks following surgery and to higher impact activities such as jogging, until six weeks following surgery. The patient may suffer discomfort in this period after the procedure, requiring further medication. Possible side effect of the procedure, include scarring and temporary loss of sensation in the breast skin and nipples.
It would therefore be desirable to provide a breast-lift and/or NAC-lift procedure, which does not require long incisions and can be performed with a minimally-invasive procedure.
It would also be desirable to provide a breast-lift and/or NAC-lift procedure, which reduces the pain, and discomfort suffered by the patient and reduces the recovery time of the patient.
It would further be desirable to provide a breast-lift and/or NAC-lift procedure, which reduces the risk of scarring and scar tissue formation.
It would still further be desirable to provide a breast-lift and/or NAC-lift procedure with reduced incidence of side effects such as temporary loss of sensation and infection.